HOMES Join the country club NEW COUNTRY
Country style has many faces – it can be rustic, charming and chintzy, cool and modern or even a mix of all three. GABRIELLE FAGAN harvests three chic looks to try in your home
the possibility of an appeal. However you cannot appeal against the decision of the court just because you don’t like it; the judge has to have made a mistake in law. There are strict time limits for submitting an appeal.
WHERE THERE’S A WILL
MY mother, who’s frail and in her 80s, was told two years ago that she’d been left £10,000 in her late brother’s will. But her brother’s stepsons and the firm of solicitors involved say she won’t receive anything until a business has been sold. Why should my mother have to wait so long for the cash which was intended to make her old age more comfortable? SOMETIMES an estate administration can be complicated and certain things will have priority over others, for example paying off debts and tax. The executors are under no obligation to hand over money or gifts until all possible problems and debts have been sorted out since there may be insufficient funds. However, interest will start to accrue on legacies if they have not been paid within a year of the date of the death. THE house next door to mine has been empty for 25 years and is deteriorating, but the owner flatly refuses to sell. I am now trying to sell my own house, but prospective buyers are being put off by the condition of the adjoining house. Is there anything I can do? I’M afraid people can’t usually be forced to look after their property unless it presents a danger to others. The title deeds to some properties can contain clauses requiring the owner to keep them in good repair; if you suspect this might be the case (from a similar clause in your own deeds) you should see a solicitor, although such covenants are notoriously difficult to enforce. The council is keen to bring such properties back into use however: contact the Housing Services department. MY neighbour, who’s a builder, has put up an extension to his house approved by the council. The boundary between the properties is at an awkward angle, and water from his roof runs down the wall of my house causing us damp problems. Can I distribute pictures of the roof fault saying they’re examples of his work? IT appears that your neighbour’s handiwork is damaging your property, and presumably you would like to prevent that happening and be paid compensation for the damage to your house. I suggest you consult a solicitor and think about getting a surveyor’s report on the damage. I don’t think making a public issue of your difficulties is likely to help you, and may seriously harm the prospects of a satisfactory outcome.
Call SAS Daniels LLP Solicitors on 0161 475 7676 or 01625 442 100. Visit www.sasdaniels. co.uk. If you have any legal questions, write to Weekly Law and You, MEN Media, Mitchell Henry House, Hollinwood Avenue, Chesterton, OL9 8EF, or leave your query on the legal advice line 0117 964 4794.